Parallel Hearts

chapter 1: Into the ink

Jason Myers stepped into his father's study, the smell of old books and ink a sharp contrast to the sterile hospital he had just left. His father, Robert Myers, a celebrated author, had always preferred the company of his fictional worlds over the real one, and the walls of this room were a testament to his success. Rows of awards, countless first editions of his novels, and framed original artwork from his most famous comic series, Crimson Vengeance, filled every inch of the room.

Jason's eyes lingered on the cover of the latest issue, which depicted the stunning and stoic He noticed the glow of an iPad on the desk, its screen open to the next unfinished page of Crimson Vengeance. Jason hesitated, then picked it up, curious to see what his father had in store for Seraphina this time. As he scrolled, the words began to blur, the screen flickering. Seraphina Locke standing atop a skyscraper, her eyes filled with determination and a deep, simmering rage. As a child, Jason had been fascinated by her-a woman who had lost everything and yet forged her own empire out of the ashes. But as he grew older, the admiration turned into resentment, a symbol of the father who had spent more time with her than his own son.

"Dad?" Jason called out, but there was no response.

"Damn thing," he muttered, tapping the screen.

Suddenly, the room began to spin. A blinding light engulfed him, pulling him into the device. Jason felt his body compress, the air sucked out of his lungs as he plummeted through the screen.

He landed with a jarring thud on cold concrete. The sounds of the city surrounded him-honking cars, distant sirens, and the low hum of conversation. Disoriented, he pushed himself up, wincing as pain shot through his knees. He looked around, his heart racing. This wasn't his father's study.

He was standing on the terrace of a towering building, the night sky above him filled with the glow of a bustling metropolis. Jason's eyes widened as he recognized the setting-this was the world of Crimson Vengeance. And in front of him, sprawled on the ground, was Seraphina Locke, blood pooling beneath her. "Help..." she gasped, her voice barely a whisper.

Without thinking, Jason rushed to her side. His training as a doctor kicked in, his hands moving swiftly to assess her injuries. A deep gash on her side, likely from a knife, was the most pressing issue. She was losing blood fast.

"I'm here," he said, tearing off a piece of his shirt to apply pressure to the wound. "Stay with me."

Seraphina's eyes fluttered, her breathing shallow. "Who... who are you?"

Jason knelt beside Seraphina, her blood pooling beneath her on the cold terrace. The city stretched out below them, oblivious to the violence that had just unfolded at this height. Her breathing was shallow, her skin pale, and Jason's heart pounded as he applied pressure to the deep wound on her side.

As his hands worked, he glanced around, searching for her attacker. He had seen the shadowy figure just moments ago, standing above her with a knife. But now, the man was gone-disappeared into thin air, as if he had never existed.

"Stay with me," Jason muttered, frantically trying to control the bleeding. He didn't have the tools or time for proper medical care. Glancing toward the party happening below, he shouted, "Help! Someone-there's a woman hurt up here! We need help!" Down below, there was a party-an elegant affair, completely unaware of the chaos above. "There's a wounded person up here! We need help!"

It took a few moments, but a group of chefs and event staff finally noticed him, looking up in confusion. Jason shouted again, his voice commanding. "Call an ambulance! Bring medical supplies now!" Within minutes, staff members rushed to the terrace. Jason barked orders, telling them to bring anything that could help stabilize her. The wound was deep, but Jason was doing his best to keep the bleeding under control.

The paramedics arrived swiftly, and the tension in Jason's chest eased slightly as they took over. As they secured Seraphina on a stretcher and wheeled her away to the private hospital, Jason followed, still shaken by what had happened.

Hours passed, and Jason found himself pacing the quiet hallway of the private hospital, his mind racing. He still couldn't process how he had ended up in this world. He looked down at his bloodstained hands, Seraphina's life barely saved twice tonight-once by him on the terrace, and once when the paramedics took over.

As he waited outside her room, a nurse entered with a tray of supplies. At first, Jason thought nothing of it, but something in her movements caught his eye. The way she avoided his gaze, how quickly she worked. The syringe she pulled out wasn't normal-it was too full, too fast. Jason's instincts kicked in.

"Wait!" he said, stepping toward her. The nurse froze, her eyes wide behind the surgical mask.

"What are you doing with that?" Jason demanded, his voice tight.

The nurse faltered for a second before dropping the syringe, trying to escape. Jason lunged, grabbing her arm. A brief struggle ensued, but the nurse managed to twist free and sprinted out of the room before Jason could stop her. He looked down at the syringe lying on the floor, dread pooling in his gut.

It wasn't saline. It was poison.

Someone wanted Seraphina dead, and they weren't giving up. Jason kicked the syringe away, his heart pounding. If he hadn't been here, she would have been killed while she slept.

Seraphina's eyes fluttered open hours later, her body weak but alive. She blinked against the dim light in the hospital room, her head throbbing with pain. She tried to sit up, but her side ached fiercely, and she winced.

Her mind was foggy, but she remembered vague flashes of the night-the terrace, the attack... and him. Someone had saved her. Twice. A movement caught her eye, and she saw her right-hand man, Rafe, enter the room. His face was tense with worry, but his expression softened as he saw her awake.

"Seraphina," he said quietly. "You're okay. We've increased security, but someone tried to kill you tonight."

Seraphina nodded weakly. "I remember," she murmured. "But there was a man. He... saved me."

Rafe frowned. "Who was he?" "I don't know," Seraphina whispered, her thoughts still scattered. "I can barely remember his face. But... he saved me on the terrace. And then again, here. He stopped someone from poisoning me."

Rafe's eyes darkened, and he crossed his arms, his mind working. "Whoever he is, he may hold the key to what's happening," Seraphina said, her voice gaining strength. "Find him, Rafe. I have a feeling... that he's connected to all of this."

Rafe nodded, determination etched into his features. "I'll find him. And when I do, we'll get the answers we need." Seraphina closed her eyes, letting her exhaustion take over, but her mind was racing. Whoever that man was, he had saved her twice. And something told her it wasn't just luck. He was tied to her survival-and possibly to her past.

Jason felt a strange pull as he stood in the hospital hallway, still dazed from everything that had happened. Suddenly, the world around him flickered again, the walls of the hospital seeming to blur. In an instant, the pull became stronger, and Jason was dragged backward, the world dissolving into a blur of light and sound. When he opened his eyes, he was back in his father's study, standing exactly where he had been before. The iPad still glowed on the desk, as if nothing had happened. But Jason knew better.

His heart pounded as he looked down at the screen. There, on the latest page of Crimson Vengeance, was the scene from the terrace-the exact moment he had saved Seraphina's life. And there he was, drawn into the comic as an animated version of himself.

Jason's blood ran cold. He wasn't just in the comic world. He was a part of it now.

And the story was far from over.